This time, DJI is finally not engaging in a blow with overwhelming superiority.

Not long ago, DJI released its first panoramic camera. We got our hands on it right away and used it intensively for two weeks. I really like this product, but as DJI's first foray into this field, it's not perfect. Now, let's take a look at our actual experience.

Excellent Image Quality

First of all, the image quality of the Osmo 360 is truly impressive. Let's take a look at the image quality of this panoramic camera.

The highlight of this camera is its two custom 1-inch square sensors. Previously, the sensors in panoramic cameras were rectangular, just like those in ordinary cameras. In panoramic mode, the camera could only utilize the square area in the center of the sensor, leaving the extra parts on both sides wasted. This is the case with the Insta360 X5.

However, DJI has customized two equivalent 1-inch camera sensors specifically for this panoramic camera. The term "equivalent 1-inch" means that when shooting panoramas, the imaging area of the Osmo 360's sensor is the same as that of a 4:3 1-inch sensor. Calculated using the Pythagorean theorem, the diagonal is actually about 0.98 inches. It's just that when shooting single-lens mode videos, the area will be cropped and become smaller.

In panoramic video mode, this panoramic camera supports a minimum of 4K at 100 frames per second (under PAL) and a maximum of 8K at 50 frames per second. Yes, it doesn't support 1080P. At the 8K 50fps shooting specification, when you zoom in to view the details, the image quality is more than sufficient. Here, when we compare it with 4K 100fps in the same scene and zoom in, the 8K 50fps footage remains clear, while the 4K 100fps footage is not as sharp.

This time, DJI has added a night scene enhancement mode in panoramic video mode. When comparing the content shot in this mode with the normal mode, you can see that both the noise level and clarity are quite good.

In addition, this panoramic camera can also shoot panoramic photos with 120 million pixels. The size of a single photo is only between 18mb and 19mb, and the image quality is top-notch.

Besides the panoramic mode, this DJI camera also supports the single-lens mode, which can shoot "ultra-wide-angle videos" with a 170-degree field of view, capturing a wider perspective and making the footage more impactful. When compared with the regular single-lens mode, it's obvious that the ultra-wide-angle video has a much broader field of view.

Left: Normal view; Right: Ultra-wide-angle mode

Overall, the image quality of the Osmo 360 can definitely compete with the Pocket 3.

Integrated into the DJI Ecosystem

In terms of heat dissipation, the Osmo 360's performance is rather conservative. At a room temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, in 4K 100fps mode, it can record until the memory card is full without overheating. It's more than enough for casual outings with intermittent shooting. However, in 8K 50fps mode, the camera can only record for a maximum of 11 minutes before overheating and shutting down. I was shooting a time-lapse of the Bird's Nest in the Olympic Park, and it shut down due to overheating halfway through. It was really frustrating.

This time, DJI has built a 128GB storage into the Osmo 360, with 105GB actually available. You don't have to worry about forgetting to bring a memory card anymore. Paired with the three batteries in the extended shooting kit, you can use it for a whole day.

In terms of professionalism, this panoramic camera still supports 10-bit direct output, D-Log M mode, and wireless microphone connection. Whether you're a professional or an amateur, you can find your sweet spot.

One thing I think the Osmo 360 does better than the Pocket 3 and Action 5 Pro is that when connecting a microphone, you can directly find this icon on the home page of the settings and click on it to connect the microphone. It's very convenient.

Nowadays, DJI's products are gradually forming an ecosystem. Although not everyone will own all three products - the Pocket, Action, and Osmo 360 - the microphones are universal and even compatible with small drones like the Neo.

Also, the battery of the Osmo 360 is compatible with the Action 5 Pro. One set of batteries can be used for both devices. I guess not many people will use both the Osmo 360 and Action simultaneously, unless you have the Action hanging on you and the Osmo 360 in your hand. Anyway, the compatibility of accessories is really a great thing.

Room for Improvement

However, the Osmo 360's user experience isn't perfect. Take its feel for example. When you first hold it, it feels like a razor - square and compact. It's indeed very small. But the reduced size also brings some problems. When you hold the bare camera in your hand, your fingers can easily touch the lens. If you hold it too loosely, you're afraid it'll fall to the ground. Unlike the Insta360 X5, DJI didn't design a replaceable lens. But DJI has introduced a "lens replacement service for wear and tear" for 159 yuan, which is a bit of a consolation.

So, it's better to use the selfie stick for daily use. However, using the stick makes it less portable. The Osmo 360 supports various selfie sticks and has a magnetic quick-release mechanism, making installation and removal easy. Moreover, it has a special battery extension stick that supports additional power and recording functions.

This time, the DJI Osmo 360 is also equipped with a high-brightness OLED screen, which can be clearly seen even in strong sunlight. However, the screen is much smaller than that of the Action 5 Pro, making it a bit difficult to operate with your fingers.

Thanks to the dual 1-inch sensors and 10-bit support, the panoramic camera's footage has seen a qualitative leap. But if you or an object is too close to the camera and right between the two lenses, you'll see a disjointed image. This is a characteristic of panoramic cameras. The minimum working distance of the Osmo 360 is about 75 centimeters.

In terms of software, you can use DJI Mimo on your mobile phone and DJI Studio (a newly launched software by DJI) on your computer, or install a panoramic plugin on Adobe Premiere Pro. On the computer, the official software has relatively comprehensive functions for processing panoramic videos, but its functions for processing single-lens videos are rather limited. It doesn't even support multi-track editing. Based on the current experience, I recommend using DJI Mimo as it offers a smoother and more convenient operation.

Currently, the single-body price of the DJI Osmo 360 is 2,999 yuan, and the extended shooting kit costs 3,799 yuan. It's a bit cheaper than the Insta360 X5.

As DJI's first-generation panoramic camera, the Osmo 360 shows DJI's ambition in terms of both hardware specifications and price. However, it's far from perfect. Issues like the complex and laggy software operation and the disjointed image need DJI to make further optimizations. Only then will the Osmo 360 reach its full potential.

This article is from the WeChat official account “Hardcore Kanban” (ID: yinghekb), author: Li Feng. It is published by 36Kr with permission.